We Have A Structural Food Inflation Problem That’s Crushing The Poorest People In America
Gregor MacDonald
BusinessInsider.com
May 6, 2012
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) produces excellent research. In March of 2010 I discussed their report, Energy Use in the US Food System, which noted that the energy-cost intensity of food production was expanding. (see: the Gregor.us blog post Paris Over Amherst: Food Energy and Credit). Given the strong advance in energy and food poverty the past few years, as reflected in soaring participation in SNAP (food stamp programs), the USDA has produced a new piece of research just last month, Alleviating Poverty in the United States: The Critical Role of SNAP Benefits. The report concludes that, SNAP benefits have a relatively stronger effect on the depth and severity of poverty than on the prevalence of poverty. Yes, that makes sense.
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